The CBD outpost of the Alexandria favourite opened its antique doors in 2017, and has since maintained The Grounds’ rep as a bangin’ Sydney breakfast hotspot. The lavish 1920s-themed coffeehouse’s menu has a range of great brekkie options. 

Located in the ground floor of a heritage building (formerly the headquarters of Red Cross Australia), Cross Eatery has been offering up healthy eats and great coffee since 2016. 

Having cemented its status as one of Melbourne’s most celebrated coffee roasters and cafes, Industry Beans opened its first interstate venue on York Street in 2019. 

Regiment is a busy glass-walled cafe smack-bang in the middle of George Street. You won’t be able to escape the hustle and bustle here, but it’s one of the best places in the CBD to enjoy a cup of coffee. 

Tucked away behind King Street, Skittle Lane Coffee is a welcome breath of fresh air for CBD dwellers. The Sydney breakfast joint’s high ceilings and large steel windows demand attention from the casual passer-by. 

If you’re looking for a way to cheer up your working week in the CBD, pop into June’s Shoppe. Where so many of Sydney’s cafes take themselves pretty seriously, this bright yellow cafe is all about putting a little sunshine into your day and having a little fun. 

This jack-of-all-trade cafe and bar comes from the team behind the highly awarded cocktail bar Maybe Sammy. The sleek gold and forest green-tinted venue is slinging cuppas by day and mini cocktails by night.  

Bar Mammoni, is the final piece to join Circular Quay’s expansive multi-storey venue Hinchcliff House. Located one street over from the flagship venue, Mammoni is a 30-seat cafe and bar hidden within the Quay Quarter Lanes precinct. 

While the CBD is awash with morning coffee spots, Pablo & Rusty’s on Castlereagh Street is top of many city workers’ lists. With an appealing façade, matched with a chic interior and top-notch menu to boot, it deserves to be. 

When the talent behind Reuben Hills expanded to the CBD, it was great news to those that work around Martin Place. As well as serving up the seasonal house blends that have given Reuben Hills its rep, it’s also slinging an interesting menu to match. 

New York and Sydney may be almost 10,000 miles apart, but when it comes to capturing that iconic American panache so many of us know and love, Bowery Lane aims to prove distance is relative with the right ingredients.